Here we are getting dressed in our Kimonos. Kimonos are the traditional dress of Japanese women. They still where them today for special occasions. However, Kimonos are very expensive costing thousands of dollars or yen! Many Kimonos are passed down within the family from one generation to the next. It's difficult to dress in Kimono yourself. Chiaki's mother is a trained Kimono dresser. She is in her nineties and has a lot of energy!!
These dresses are gorgeous with many layers of fabric. They're actually quite hot!! The Japanese make seasonal Kimonos. The one we're wearing is for the winter time and is made of silk. The summer one is made of cotton and there are virtually no layers, these are called Yukata. We had a great time playing dress up with our friend Chiaki in the picture above.After dressing we were then led into a traditional style tatami mat room. We quickly learned that the tea ceremony is not only about the tea...but the ceramic bowls that it is served in as well!There is a lot of order and sequence that goes into this ceremony. You must look carefully at the empty ceramic bowl turning it in your hands many times. Then you must examine the small paper napkin that is placed in front of the bowl and fold it in a certain way! Now, it's time for the tea! The tea is a special green tea called Matcha. You add water and the powder and stir it carefully with a bamboo whisk. We even got to stir it. Which, I don't think is technically allowed! During the tea ceremony the hostess does all of the work. After the tea, each person examines the bowl carefully, eats their small sweet, and takes a drink. The reason for the sweet is because the tea is very bitter. Chiaki said the tea they made for us was actually a mild taste. I can't imagine it being more bitter!
Our private tea ceremony only lasted about 30-45 minutes. However, a traditional ceremony can last up to two hours or more. I can't imagine sitting on our knees for two hours repeating the same thing over and over again.
We had a great time! If you want to see some cool pictures of a traditional tea ceremony and learn more about it check out this website! Make sure you look at the woodblock print story. Have fun!
http://www.asianartmall.com/teaceremony.htm
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